7. NV Diet Pill

With spokespeople like Carmen Electra and Holly Madison, what more could a diet pill need? Sold in drug stores, NV Diet is touted as Hollywood’s secret weapon to looking taut on the red carpet. Like many other diet remedies on the market, the pills contain hoodia gordonii extracted from a cactus-like plant of the same name, which purportedly suppresses appetite, and green tea extract, which can rev up metabolism and burn fat more quickly. What NV pills gained in popularity, however, thanks to its celebrity spokespeople and a 60 Minutes episode in which Leslie Stahl traipsed into the African desert to find and try hoodia, it lacks in reliable scientific studies. Most of the weight loss claims come from animal studies, and the few human trials have not been published and adequately reviewed.

TREND TRIGGER: Celebrity endorsements

CLAIM: Drop one jean size in two weeks (Madison did!)

IS IT FOR YOU? Dieticians say the answer to weight loss can’t be found in a pill, plus, the label notes NV works in combination with a healthy diet and exercise regimen. So how can you tell whether it’s the pills or the healthier food you’re eating and the hours you put in at the gym that’s responsible for the slimmer you?